Amusement ride



H. F. MAYNES AMUSEMENT RIDE March 1, 1932.

Filed March 5, 1931 m, 21 mM HF Mp w.

ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 1 I932 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE HYLA r. HAYNES, or NORTH 'IONAWANDA, NEW YORK, nssmlvon or ONE-HALF 'ro EMMA c. mAYNEs, or NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW YORK V AMUSEMENT RIDE- Application filed March 5,-

This invention relates to amusement rides andits object is to add a new thrill to such rides. I do this by providing the passenger carriages with resiliently-mounted supports, 5 preferably of carpet or other heavy fabric,

on which the passengers are seated, and imparting to these supports a rising and falling motion as the carriages progress over the ride, thus bouncing the passengers merrily. up and down. I This rising and falling motion is preferably imparted by moving the carriages rapidly over an undulating trackway of the kind common in roller coasters and roundiabouts. In the accompanying drawings I haveshown the invention embodied in a rotary ride of the type illustrated in my Patent No. 1,627,192. In these drawings: Fig. l is a fragmentary plan view of such a rotary ride embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation on a reduced scale of the ride shown in Fig. 1; 3 is a vertical radial section taken through the ride along the line .I3-3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a section taken along theline 44 of Fig. 1 and showing the mannerin which'thecarpets are supported.

The rotary ride shown in these drawings comprises a central standpipe 1 which acts i J as a pivot or axis for the ride. A spider 2 p rotates about this standpipe to which are pivotally connected, for swinging in a vertical plane, a series of radial sweeps 3. At the outer end of each sweep is j'ournaled a .iwheel 4 running upon an undulating trackway 5, these wheels supporting the weight of the sweeps. Near the outer end of certain of the sweeps is mounted an electric motor by which power is transmitted to the wheel 4 through a pinion 7 mounted on the arma- 40 ture shaft of the motor and meshing with an internal gear 8 fixed to the inner faceof the wheel. Current is supplied to the motor through leads 9 which extend along the sweep and make contact with collector rings, not shown, concentric with the standpipe 1'. A"

switch, also not shown, readily accessible to the operator controls the current to the motors and hence the starting and stopping of the ride. 0 At the outer end of the sweeps3 are a pair 1931. Serial No. 520,303.

of links 10, these links serving to tie .the sweeps together and maintain them in spaced relation. ,The links are composed-of angle irons and "are disposed parallel to each other a suitable distance apart. The links are rigidly fastened'at their opposite ends to an nular collars 11 surrounding and rotatable upon the sweeps 3, which are of cylindrical cross section, to permit the sweeps to follow the changes in elevation of the trackway. For a more detailed description of the-structure described above, reference is made to my aforementioned U. S. Patent No. 1,627,192. The horizontal flanges of the angle irons formingthe links extend toward each other,. as shown in Fig. 3, and are perforated to receive one end of a series of helical springs 12. These springs at their other endsare passed through openings around the. margin. of a carpet, 14 and the openings are suitably reinforced by grommets to prevent tearing the material under the pull of the springs which tend to normally hold the carpet'taut in the plane ofthe links. The carpet is stretched in its longitudinal direction by means of springs 13 extendingbetween the sweeps 3 and the endsof the carpet 14. I

The carpet according to the preferredems bodiment will be of sufficient size to accommodate two persons and in order to indicate their seating positionsfthereon a pair of cushions l5, forming seats, are fastened to the carpet, these cushions being arranged either in tan-j dem or side-by-side, orboth arrangements may. be combined in a single structure as indicated in Fig. 1. Aledge 20 formed by either a pad or a section of rope against which the passenger may brace his feet is secured tothe carpet. I Y Y In orderto prevent passengers from being thrown from the ride I provide safety belts 16, these belts, as shown in Fig. 4, being connected by straps 17 to the carpet. The straps are of such length as topermit limited movement of the passengers body in a vertical direction but to restrain it against excessive movement tangentially. Below the carpet 14, but beyondthe range of its maximum downward movement, is provided aspread 18 of heavy fabric, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, attached at its margin to downwardly extended arms 19 mounted upon the links 10 and the sweeps 3. The purpose of this spread is to serve as a secondary support for the body of the passenger in the event of a failure of the carpet 14.

In the operation of the ride which has just been described, the passengers seat themselves upon the cushions 15 on the carpets 14 with the safety belts 16 attached about their waists. The operator by throwing a switch'sends current to the motors 6 which, through the pinion 7 and internal ring gear 8 fastened to the wheels 4, cause the ride to travel along the circular trackway. As the wheels follow the undulations of the trackway asequence of rising and falling motions is communicated to the carpetsl l. Due to the resilient mounting of the carpets by means of the springs 12 and 13' and also because of the inertia of the bodies of the passengers seated upon the carpets, the passengers are agitated in a manner' to produce the sensation of being tossed up and down in a blanket.

I claim:

1. An amusement ride comprising a resiliently mounted flexible support adapted to accommodate a passenger thereon, wheels carrying the support, and an undulating trackway upon which the wheels are ararrangedto run, the construction and arrangement'being such that-when the wheels travelalong the trackway a succession of vertical impulses is imparted to the support to toss the passenger up and down.

2. An amusement ride comprising a flexible fabric adapted to accommodate a passenger thereon, resilient means for normally holding the fabric taut, wheels supporting the fabric and an undulating trackway upon which the wheels are arranged to run, the construction and arrangement being such that when the wheels travel along the trackway. a succession of vertical impulses is imparted to the support to toss the passenger up and dial sweeps designed to rotate about the pivot, wheels on the sweep, a circular undulating trackwayupon which the wheels run, means for rotating the sweeps as a unit and a 7 resiliently-suspended flexible 7 support 1 for a passenger located at the outer ends of the sweeps.

5. An amusement ride comprising the combination of a central pivot, a plurality of radial sweeps designed to rotate about the pivot, wheels on the sweeps, a circular undulating trackway upon which the wheels run, means for rotating the sweeps as a unit, a flexible fabric float located between adjacent sweeps, and meansfor resiliently supporting the float. 'f m 6. An amusement ride comprising the combination of a central pivot, a plurality of radial sweeps designed to rotate about the pivot, wheels on the sweeps, a circular undulating trackway upon which the wheels run, means for rotating the sweeps as aunit, a pair of spaced links connecting adjacent sweeps, and a flexible fabric support for a passenger fastened to said links.

7. An amusement ride comprising the com bination of a central pivot, a plurality of radial sweeps designed to rotate about the pivot wheels on the sweeps, a circular undulating trackway upon which the wheels run, ineans for'rotating the sweeps as a unit, a pair of spaced links-connecting adjacent sweeps, a' flexible fabric located between saidlinks for supporting a passenger and resilient means for stretching said fabric taut in the Plane of the links.

V 8. An amusement ride comprising the combination of-a central pivot, aplurality of radial sweeps designed to rotate about the pivot, wheels on thesweeps, a circular undulating trackway upon which the wheels run,

means for rotating the sweeps as a unit, a pair adjacent sweeps, a flexible fabric located between said links for supporting, a passenger, resilient means maintaining said fabric normally taut and a safety belt flexibly connected to the ride and adapted to be attached to the body of the passenger.

10. An amusement ride comprising the combination of a central pivot, a plurality of radial sweeps designed to be rotated about the pivot, wheels on the sweeps, a circular undulating trackway upon which the wheels run, means for rotating the sweeps as a unit, a resiliently suspended flexible support located between adjacent sweeps and a secondrun to impart a succession of vertical impulses to the carpet to toss the passengers up and down.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HYLA F. MAYNES. 

